New Radioimmunotherapy Drug Proves Highly Effective for Killing Off B Cell Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma; Novel Approach Expands Treatment Options, Extends Survival Time for Some Patients.

Byline: Mayo Clinic

ROCHESTER, Minn., May 13 (AScribe Newswire) -- A Mayo Clinic study indicates the first of a new class of drugs involving radioimmunotherapy benefited a significant number of patients with low-grade B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who have exhausted treatment options.

The study, published in the May 15, 2002, issue of Journal of Clinical Oncology, investigated the ability of the drug Zevalin to hone in on and kill off the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma B cells. Zevalin is the first radioimmunotherapy drug developed specifically to fight this common but usually fatal cancer of the lymph glands that, for unknown reasons, is on the increase in the …